MYANMAR: The second biggest fashion retailed company H & M announced on August 16 that the inquiry will be carried out for seeking justice due to the report that there are about 20 workers who have been violated the workers’ rights in the garment factory in Myanmar.
Business and Human Rights Resource Center (BHRRC) based in Britain revealed the survey result that there are increasing numbers of workers’ rights violations in Myanmar since the coup. There were 156 cases filed for the different violations such as reduction of the payment, forcibly overtime, stealing the wages, injustice firing, inhumane rate of wages from February 2022 to February 2023.
The data, being collected from in-country workers’ unions, Myanmar workers herald, Myanmar media and the international media, showed 56 more cases than the previous year. Among the filed cases, there were twenty cases for H & M Sweden Company, 21 cases from Inditex, owned by Zara brand, which mentioned the violation of the workers’ rights.
According to the current situation, Inditex, Spain’s Prominent Fashion announced the halt of buying garments from Myanmar a few days ago. H & M also announced, “All the incidents and cases over BHRRC have been being inquired by closely cooperating with the local organization, and the related individuals. The requirements are being tried to be fixed. We are deeply worried about the current incidents in Myanmar and there are many challenges over our actions and performance aligned with our rules and regulations”.
Myanmar junta’s council and Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association were reportedly requested to be interviewed, but there was no reply yet, as mentioned on the Reuters News.
H & M is one of the 18 brands of Europe fashions, which includes in EU funded MADE project with the aim of employment opportunities for Myanmar garment workers from over 500 factories.
The Chief Executive Officer of EuroCham Myanmar, Ms. Karina Ufert said that the fashion brands leaving from Myanmar can seriously affect the Myanmar Garment workers and urged them not to do so.
